A Biological Inventory of Eight Caves in Northwestern Georgia with Conservation Implications
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Kurt A. Buhlmann - A biological inventory of eight caves in northwestern Georgia with conservation implications. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 63(3): 91-98. A BIOLOGICAL INVENTORY OF EIGHT CAVES IN NORTHWESTERN GEORGIA WITH CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS KURT A. BUHLMANN1 University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29802 USA A 1995 biological inventory of 8 northwestern Georgia caves documented or re-confirmed the presence of 46 species of invertebrates, 35 considered troglobites or troglophiles. The study yielded new cave records for amphipods, isopods, diplurans, and carabid beetles. New state records for Georgia included a pselaphid beetle. Ten salamander species were in the 8 caves, including a true troglobite, the Tennessee cave salamander. Two frog, 4 bat, and 1 rodent species were also documented. One cave contained a large colony of gray bats. For carabid beetles, leiodid beetles, and millipeds, the species differed between the caves of Pigeon and Lookout Mountain. Diplurans were absent from Lookout Mountain caves, yet were present in all Pigeon Mountain caves. A comparison between 1967 and 1995 inventories of Pettijohns Cave noted the absence of 2 species of drip pool amphipods from the latter. One cave had been contaminated by a petroleum spill and the expected aquatic fauna was not found. Further inventory work is suggested and the results should be applied to management strategies that provide for both biodiver- sity protection and recreational cave use. Georgia is a cave-rich state, with most caves occurring in 29 July; Nash Waterfall Cave [NW] on 5 August; and Pigeon two distinct physiographic regions, the Cumberland Plateau Cave [PC] on 16 July (a) and 30 July (b). One cave was exam- and the southwestern Coastal Plain. Caves in the Cumberland ined in Chattanooga Valley in Walker County: Fricks Cave Plateau lie primarily in the counties of Dade, Walker, and [FC] on 16 September. Two caves were examined in Cloudland Chattooga. Canyon State Park at the base of Lookout Mountain in Dade A comprehensive inventory of Georgia caves was conduct- County: Case Cave [CC] and Sittons Cave [SI], both on 26 ed in 1967 (Holsinger & Peck 1971). Reeves et al. (2000) August (a) and 17 September (b) (Fig. 1). reported additional faunal records. Other scattered references The study followed methods used by Holsinger & Peck to the cave fauna of Georgia can be found in Loomis (1939: (1971) and Buhlmann (1992). Cave habitats sampled included millipeds), Hubricht (1943: amphipods), Chamberlin & streams, drip pools, phreatic lakes, decaying wood, cave walls, Hoffman (1958: millipeds), Hyman (1954: planarians), Barr and mud banks. Bait, usually liver cat food, was left in terres- (1965, 1981: beetles), Cooper (1968: salamanders), Holsinger trial habitats and checked on a return visit. Aquatic fauna in (1969, 1978: amphipods), Cooper & Iles (1971: fish), and Peck cave streams and drip pools were collected with small aquari- (1973: beetles). Dearolf (1953), Nicholas (1960), and um dip nets and suction tubes; baited containers were set in Holsinger & Culver (1988) provide checklists of species and deep pools. The first inventory of each cave included a search reviews of the regional biogeography of cave faunas. for all representative habitat types and collection of organisms. The goals of this study were to conduct biological invento- A second visit was made to some caves 1-2 weeks later to col- ries for cave-adapted species of northwest Georgia caves that lect specimens from the bait stations and revisit selected habi- were under state management responsibility and receive vary- tats. Four caves (PC, AS, CC, and SI) were each visited twice ing levels of recreational use, and/or were believed to have sig- during this study. Three caves (FC, EC, and NW) were visited nificant biodiversity and conservation value. Results may be once and 1 cave (PJ) was visited 3 times. useful in the development of cave management and conserva- Invertebrates were preserved in 70% ethanol for later iden- tion plans and will contribute to knowledge of the distribution tification. Only a minimum number of specimens were col- and biogeography of Georgia’s cave fauna. lected for species identification. Invertebrate taxa were sorted and shipped to recognized experts of the various taxonomic METHODS groups (see ACKNOWLEDGMENTS) where they remain or have been deposited in museum collections. Data were collected on Between 15 July and 14 October 1995, biological invento- habitats, species abundance, and human disturbance. Simply ries were conducted in 8 caves within northwestern Georgia’s documenting presence or absence was the greatest level of Cumberland Plateau. Five caves were examined on Pigeon detail attainable for many species. Nomenclature used in the Mountain in Walker County: Pettijohns Cave [PJ] on 15 July (a), 5 August (b), and 14 October (c); Anderson Springs Cave 1 Current address: Conservation International, Center for Applied Biodiversity Science, [AS] on 30 July (a) and 6 August (b); Ellisons Cave [EC] on 1919 M Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington DC 20036 USA [email protected] Copyright © 2001 by The National Speleological Society Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, December 2001 • 91 BIOLOGICAL INVENTORY OF EIGHT CAVES IN NORTHWESTERN GEORGIA RESULTS Class Turbellaria (flatworms), Order Tricladida, Family Kenkiidae: Sphalloplana sp. (TB): PJ(a). One specimen was collected in a pool at the base of a waterfall. The specimen may be Sphalloplana georgiana (Hyman) which was described from a cave in Dade Co., GA (Hyman 1954). Class Malacostraca, Order Isopoda (isopods), Family Asellidae: Caecidotea cyrtorhynchus Fleming and Steeves (TB): PJ(a); NW; AS(a,b). Individuals were especially abundant in the out-flowing, permanent stream in AS. Caecidotea sp. (undescribed or possibly Caecidotea catachaetus Fleming and Steeves (TB): EC; SI(b). Specimens were collected in a pool in the drying cave stream in SI. Two species of aquatic troglobitic isopods are currently known from GA, C. cyrtorhynchus and C. catachaetus (Fleming & Steeves 1972). Lirceus sp. (TP): NW. Specimens were collected from drip pools. Family Ligiidae: Ligidium elrodi Packard (TP): EC; PC(a). This terrestrial species was found around the entrance to NW. L. elrodi are perhaps becoming adapted to cave life (Schultz 1970). They inhabit wet, damp places, including the margins of springs and streams. The specimens found at NW are L. elrodi hancockensis (Schultz) (J. Lewis, pers. comm.). Family Trichoniscidae: Amerigoniscus sp. (possibly undescribed, TB): CC(a); SI(a). Prepared dissec- tions of this terrestrial isopod did not match known species from the area (J. Lewis, pers. comm.). Miktoniscus sp. (probably Miktoniscus alabamensis Muchmore, TP): PC(a). M. alabamensis is a widely ranging species known from AL, FL, and VA (Muchmore 1964). Order Amphipoda (amphipods), Family Crangonyctidae: Crangonyx antennatus Packard (TB): FC; SI(b); PJ(a); AS(a,b). Specimens in FC and AS were collected from streams with cobble bottom. Specimens from SI and PJ were collected from mud-bottomed streams. C. antennatus is wide- spread, and recorded from caves in southwest VA, eastern TN, northwestern GA, and northern Alabama (Holsinger & Culver 1988). Stygobromus minutus Holsinger (TB): NW. One specimen was collected in a drip pool. The species was previously collected from mud-bottomed drip pools Figure 1. General location of eight caves inventoried dur- in PJ (Holsinger 1978). ing the study (in ellipses): A. - Cloudland Canyon State Order Decapoda (crayfishes), Family Cambaridae: Park (Case Cave [CC] and Sittons Cave [SI]); B. - Cambarus sp. (TX): EC; SI(a,b). Several specimens were observed in cave streams, but no troglomorphic species were found. Chattanooga Valley (Fricks Cave [FC]); C. - Pigeon Class Arachnida, Order Pseudoscorpiones (pseudoscorpions) Mountain (Pettijohns Cave [PJ], Anderson Springs Cave No specimens were found. Troglobitic species of pseudoscorpions have been [AS], Ellisons Cave [EC], Nash Waterfall Cave [NW], and previously found in Chattooga, Dade, and Walker County, GA caves Pigeon Cave [PC]). (Holsinger & Peck 1971), but not in any of the caves investigated during this study. Order Acari (parasitic mites) Results follows Peck (1998), unless other literature was unknown sp. (AC): PC(a); CC(a); NW; FC. Several genera of mites were col- required. lected, but all are believed to represent surface species carried into caves by Cave organisms were classified into one of four categories bats. Holsinger & Peck (1971) reported a cave-adapted mite from PJ. Order Opiliones (harvestmen), Family Phalangodidae: of cavernicoles (Barr 1963a, 1968). Troglobites (TB) are oblig- Bishopella sp. (TP): PC(a); EC; NW; CC(a,b); SI(b); FC; PJ(c). Adult and atory cave species with morphological adaptations for the cave juvenile specimens of Bishopella were collected in seven caves during this environment and do not exist in surface environments. study and Reeves et al. (2000) subsequently collected Bishopella in AS. Troglophiles (TP) may frequent caves and are capable of com- Bishopella have well-developed eyes and have been collected occasionally from epigean habitats (Goodnight & Goodnight 1960). The genus Bishopella pleting all stages of their life cycle within a cave, but also occur likely includes several species that have been reported as Phalangodes lacin- in surface habitats. Trogloxenes (TX) are species that may use iosa (Crosby & Bishop) from northwestern GA caves, including